After the Battle's Won
by newyork24-7
Summary: What happened once the war was over? How did Ron and Hermione get to their Happy Ending. Rating may change in time.
1. Chapter 1

**I know this idea has been done before but I still just couldn't help myself.**

**I've only written one little oneshot for these characters before and this will be a lot longer lol, so any helpful tips or critiscim is welcomed :) **

**Hope you enjoy.**

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><p>Jagged, broken blocks and dusty fragments of the once majestic sandstone wall of the castle littered the now cracked concrete paving of the courtyard. Making her way through the debris, Hermione screwed her eyes up slightly as the orange glow of the rising morning sun hit her face. Dropping down on the dust strewn steps that led up to the entranceway, she brushed some of the white fragments off Ron's shoulder - not that it made much or really any of an impression, the dust seemed almost imprinted on their clothes now.<p>

He reached out without looking at her and wordlessly took hold of her hand, their fingers enfolding together as he gave it a light squeeze.

"How are you?" she asked, cringing almost the moment the words were out of her mouth. Such a bloody stupid question to ask him, now of all times.

"I'm…" he trailed off, looking confused for a moment before he gave a shrug. "I dunno anymore to be honest. Should be happy, right? I mean we bet the bad guy, saved the world, I got the girl," his mouth crooked into a small smile at that, "and…and," his smile faltered before disappearing completely, "compared to other families I suppose we were lucky, look at Tonk's mum, lost everyone, didn't she?"

"She has Teddy."

"Yeah…suppose."

"You're allowed to be sad," she told him, looking down at their clasped hands. "Just because we won the war, doesn't mean that we can't grieve for everyone we've lost. No one expects you to just pretend that everything can go back to the way it was. It couldn't do that anyway, even if…"

"Even if Fred hadn't died?" Ron offered, finally turning to look at Hermione who gave a small shiver. It was the first time she'd heard someone say Fred and died in the same sentence and it still felt so wrong. For someone so young, who'd been so full of energy and had so much to offer the world, to be struck down, it just wasn't right.

Still though she swallowed back that lump of revulsion in her throat and managed to reply weakly. "Even then."

"So…" Ron stared at her, the blue eyes she knew so well studying her intently. "Where do we go from here?"

"Don't know."

Ron's eyebrows disappeared underneath the tousled mess of his hair. "Wow," he murmured quietly, looking blindsided.

"What?" Hermione asked in concern, taking this chance to now stare at him instead, feeling uneasy by his sudden look of shock.

His mouth twitched ever so slightly. "Just never thought I'd see the day that the great Hermione Granger didn't have an instant answer for something-Ow!" He groaned as she slapped his arm, rubbing at the abused flesh. "I'm already battered and bruised you know," he informed her pitifully, as he attempted to continue to wind her up. "I don't need you beating me as well."

"Then don't be such a…a pillock," she got out, trying not to laugh.

Ron smiled, widely and properly this time as he watched her mouth quiver in silent laughter, her face tilting so that she was staring at the ground and the wavy frizz of her hair fell in a curtain, hiding her face as her shoulders shook. Leaning forward, he brushed the hair away from her face, holding back it's heavy weight and stared at her. "Surely you can understand my shock," he teased.

Her brown eyes sparkled at him. "It had to happen sometime."

"Suppose so," he mumbled in reply. His skin burned red as he mumbled, "Didn't just mean like what does everyone do next…kinda meant what do we do next?"

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "What do mean?"

"Well we…kissed, in the middle of a war when we both thought we might die, and we didn't. so what now?"

"I assumed that meant we were boyfriend and girlfriend," Hermione stuttered, looking unsure of herself for what was probably the first time in her entire life.

Ron let out a sigh of relief, his smile making his eyes crinkle at the corners in a way she hadn't seen since the battle had ended and hadn't even realised she'd missed until she saw it again. "Good," he breathed out. "Hoped you'd say that."

"Well what else would I say?" she asked him, looking bemused.

"Sod off. I thought I was going to die. As if," he supplied readily.

Her free hand wrapped around the outside of his hand. "Sometimes you really are a complete idiot," she informed him dryly.

"Hey!" He looked at her, not sure whether he was insulted or delighted by what she was saying to him.

"Well you are, I thought I was more than obvious about how I felt about you," she snorted, shaking her head in disbelief at him.

He chuckled. "Can't believe that in the end it was the house-elves that got me a snog."

"I hate that word," Hermione frowned, before leaning her head against his shoulder and telling him, "And anyway it showed the part of you that I love, the bit you don't always show."

Ron blinked down at her in mild and somewhat bemused confusion. "Oh right…course."

Hermione laughed lightly, knowing he had no idea what she was talking about.

"You know," Ron remarked, "I feel better just sitting here with you, even in all of this," he waved his hand about the ruins of Hogwarts.

"Good." Tilting her head back Hermione lightly kissed the angle of his jaw.

Ron wrapped his arm around her, still managing to keep their hands entwined as he did so, and they sat in silence for a few moments until they heard the scuffle of rubble shifting under someone's feet. They looked up, screwing their eyes up against the sun to see Harry approaching them, his hands stuck firmly into his pockets. His eyes flickered between the pair, as though he were trying to decide if he'd interrupted something.

After a long moment, Ron patted the space next to him on the step, waiting until his friend had sat down with an exhausted sigh before asking, "How are you mate?"

"Don't think I know," Harry answered, taking his glasses of his face trying and failing to clean them on the corner of his scruffy looking t-shirt. "Bit of an anti climax really. Thought all this would feel brilliant, amazing. Doesn't though."

"Bits of it do," Ron replied, looking over at Hermione.

Harry looked at his two friends and rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to have to put up with this for the rest of my life, am I?"

"Did I complain when you started snogging my sister?" Ron pointed out dryly.

"Fair enough," Harry grinned.

"Where is Ginny anyway?" Ron asked, looking around as though expecting her to appear.

"She's with your Mum," Harry mumbled, rubbing at the back of his head, he didn't have to say it for his friends to know that he felt incredibly guilty over what happened to Fred.

Ron patted his back somewhat awkwardly and told him, "No one blames you for any of this, mate. You definitely lived up to your 'Chosen One' reputation."

He shrugged." Just wish it felt better."

"Don't we all," Ron mumbled his face paling at the thought of going back in and facing his family. After another few moments of silence he finally told them, "Look I better go back inside, my Mum'll wonder where I've gone."

Hermione nodded, reluctantly letting go of his hand. "I'll give you sometime alone with them," she told him quietly

"Cheers," he replied, trying to smile but failing miserably as he trudged back into the building., leaving Hermione and Harry sitting alone together.

Harry didn't even attempt to move closer to his female friend, he glanced down at the space Ron had left and asked, "So you two finally come to your senses then?"

"Uh huh," she mumbled, a smile and an uncharacteristic blush spreading across her face.

"Good, about time."

"Pot, kettle, black," Hermione replied easily.

Harry laughed. "Yeah…we've all been a bit stupid when it comes to seeing what's right in front of us."

"Plenty of time to fix it now though."

"Mmmph," he muttered, thinking of those who had fallen, who had ran out of time, he couldn't help it.

"Time will make it easier," Hermione was quick to assure him, seemingly knowing exactly what he was thinking. Tilting her head back, she looked up at the light glow of the morning sky and sighing said, "It's a really nice sunrise, best I've seen in years."

Harry turned and started at her for a moment before turning and looking back over at the rising sun, and he couldn't help but smile, he knew what she meant, it was nice for a day to start where he wasn't facing a constant threat to his life or to the lives of those he cared about. "Yeah…it is," he finally agreed.

Groaning slightly as her knees cracked as she got stiffly to her feet, Hermione told him, "I'm going to go in and see how Ron is, you coming?"

"Nah, not yet," Harry told her. "Will be in soon." He couldn't face them quite yet, he would soon but just not yet, he needed some time alone for a little while, just to gather his thoughts.

Hermione nodded silently before turning and leaving him sitting in the peace and quiet of the chirping birds. As she walked through the crumbling archway, she entered the great hall and walked over to the table the Weasley's were currently seated at, Arthur's arm around Molly's shoulder, George on her other side still looking slightly bewildered by what had happened.

She hesitated, wondering if perhaps she should leave them to their grief, she was about to turn and walk away again when Ron looked up, his head jerking hopefully at the empty space next to him. So smiling softly, she sat down next to him again, careful not be overly affectionate when she didn't know if his family even knew about them. She felt more than a little comforted though by Arthur Weasely's small nod of approval and Molly reaching across and patting her hand gently.


	2. Chapter 2

Lying awake in borrowed pyjamas, Hermione stared over at the thick red curtains that shielded her bed from public view. The dormitories were open to all tonight, with new beds springing up when ever and wherever needed - not for the first time Hermione marvelled at the magic that this building was capable of. She hadn't wanted to chat though, not to those who were in the room with her anyway, and so had closed herself - quite literally- off from them all.

Letting out a deep sigh, she twisted onto her other side, trying to get comfortable and belatedly realised that she missed listening to Ron's breathing as he slept close by. She'd grown used to it and had even gone so far as to try and imagine it in the nights following his abrupt departure from the horcrux hunt.

She sat up slowly. The thing was, was that now she didn't have to miss it, she could simply get up and go find him - after all she knew exactly where he was. Peering out round her curtain, she saw that everyone else in the room was either asleep or that they too had their curtains drawn. So she shuffled quietly to the edge of the high bed, slipping off it and out of the room un-noticed.

Her footsteps made the smallest of scuffling noises as she made her way up the stairs to the boy's dormitories and she couldn't help but smile as she realised that it was the first time she was sneaking up here to actually visit a boy she was dating. She'd spent years listening to the other girls whispering about their forbidden trips - so much for girls being more trustworthy than boys - and now she was actually doing it. Although in all fairness she didn't really have the same goal in mind, she just wanted to be with Ron, it didn't matter what they did while they were together.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione pushed at the heavy wooden door, wincing when it squeaked sharply, and suddenly silently wished that she had an invisibility cloak of her own. The room was strangely empty though, apart from Ron's bed, where she could make out the outline of his figure underneath the covers.

The sheets were twisted slightly around his legs, showing off his lean calf muscles and Hermione's smile widened. Ron might not have the body of those male models that posed in tight pants in magazines, but he was lean and very slightly muscled where it counted, legs, arms and she'd caught sight of a very nice chest a few times, not overly defined, but still warm and solid.

Stepping forward, her foot stepped on a creaky floorboard and she stalled awkwardly as the noise caused Ron to sit bolt upright, his wand tightly gripped in his hand. He blinked at her blearily, his head tilting ever so slightly to the side as he looked at her, muttering in confusion, "Hermione?"

She nodded, unsure of herself now. "Yeah…I…um…" she trailed off pathetically as she tapped her foot agitatedly off the floor. "I can go away again," she finally told him.

His eyes widened in horror and he attempted to wrench the covers back, stumbling out of the bed, his feet tangling in the sheets as he told her, "No! Don't go, I - Shit!" he yelped as he tripped forward, only just catching himself before he toppled head over feet.

Despite herself Hermione laughed. "I take it you don't want me to go then," she offered.

"Are you bloody mad! Of course I don't."

Looking around the room, she asked, "Where is everyone?"

"They thought that Harry and I would want space, because you know all those months in a tent together were just not enough," he remarked dryly.

She laughed loudly. "Is that you attempting subtly for once and trying to hint you've spent enough time with me as well?" Knowing full well what the answer would be.

"Definitely not, in fact we haven't spent enough time together," he announced knowingly. "We should spend more time together, in fact we should spend a lot more time together. All the time maybe."

"You don't mean that."

He twisted his lips together thoughtfully and finally conceded on a chuckle, "Ok, maybe not _all_ the time, we might kill each other.

"Exactly." She smiled. "But I liked the idea of us spending more time together."

"Without Harry," Ron added in quickly. As much as he loved his best mate he didn't want him encroaching on too much more of his time with Hermione. He wanted them to have their own moments, their own memories that didn't involve the three of them.

"Without Harry," she agreed, nodding slightly as she took a small step closer to him before pausing and glancing around the room, belatedly asking, "Where is he anyway? Not hiding behind the curtains?"

"Nah," Ron laughed. "He decided to go for a walk." His features fell into a sudden frown as he asked, "D'ya think he went on his own? I mean I thought he did, but I did see him with Ginny early and they were whispering-"

Hermione covered his mouth with her hand. "Means he'll probably be away for a while and we have some time alone."

Ron's face cleared, although he was concerned about his sister, it wasn't so much so that he was going to sacrifice time alone with Hermione, he'd waited long enough as it was. He reached out and settled his hands on the band of her pyjama bottoms, curving them around her waist and pulling her forward. She laughed as she stumbled forward, her hands coming out to rest against his shoulders, she tilted her head to look up at him as she asked thoughtfully, "Any ideas what we could do with that time?"

Swallowing heavily, Ron cringed as his voice rose an octave as he all but squeaked out, "Dunno." He cleared his throat awkwardly, glaring at Hermione's giggle, he knew what he wanted to do but didn't think he should say it out loud, so instead he tried to act casual and mumbled, "Whatever you want to do."

Pushing away from Ron - struggling not to smirk at the look of disappointment on his face as she did so - Hermione dropped down onto the bed and stared up at him. "Sit with me," she instructed him, patting the bed next to her.

A wide grin broke across his face, his cheeks flushing bright red with excitement as he replied, "Alright," and all but bounced onto the bed next to her, continuing to smile like a loon.

Lying back on the bed and wriggling until she felt comfortable, and knowing that Ron's eyes were on her, she yawned and told him, "I'm so tired, it'll be nice to get some sleep."

Cracking open her eyes she had to hold back a laugh when she saw his face fall. He rubbed at the back of his head, muttering, "Um…yeah…we can sleep…I…like to sleep."

At that Hermione couldn't hold back her laughter any longer and snorted. "I'm joking, Ron, I don't want to go to sleep…not yet anyway."

Ron felt like he wanted to punch the air in triumph at those words, he wrapped his arms around her and she curled into him, her head on his chest and her hand resting against his shoulder. She pressed a chaste kiss to one of his freckles before trailing her mouth further upwards over his bare, pale skin until she reached his mouth. His hands curved around her waist, fingertips slipping under the thin material of her cami top, Ron grinned as his lips met hers.

Sliding her fingers into Ron's hair, Hermione moved slightly hesitantly. She'd only ever kissed Krum and his tongue had been reminiscent of a washing machine on spin cycle. This was so much better, Ron's mouth somehow managed to be soft and firm at the same time and she certainly had no complaints about what his tongue was doing.

She belatedly realised that she was moaning into his mouth, and she heard him groan as he twisted them so that he was lying on top of her, his lips going to the thin skin of her neck as he mumbled, "Fuck Hermione…you're awesome."

As inappropriate as it was she giggled, telling him, "I was just thinking the same about you."

Her back arched as he nipped at her neck and she felt her stomach clench in excitement. His fingers slipped further up thumbs brushing the underside of her ribcage and meeting a nasty scratch that she'd gotten during the battle thanks to falling rubble.

Suddenly he stopped, and he drew back so that he could look down at her. "Are you ok?" she asked, her head tilting in concern.

He drew in a heavy breath as he nodded. "Yeah, I'm just so glad that you're ok…I mean it's over and I got so used to worrying about you-"

"Well you don't need to anymore," she told him, reaching up to stroke his cheek.

He managed a wry grin. "Don't think I'm ever gonna stop."

"I think I can live with that."

His smile faltered slightly. "I…I never used to worry about Fred, or even George, think I worried about everyone else but them. They always just seemed like they'd bounce out of every scrape…they always did."

Hermione stroked at the back of his neck with her fingers. "We all did, there's nothing wrong with that."

Ron dropped onto his back, letting out a humourless laugh. "Can't believe I'm finally in bed with you, finally getting somewhere and I'm thinking about my bloody brother!"

Giggling, Hermione rolled onto her front so that her hands were crossed across his chest and she was looking down at him. "It's ok, we weren't going any further than kissing." And on seeing his face fall she added with a raised eyebrow although she continued to giggle, "You didn't seriously expect sex! We've not even been on a date."

He blushed deep red, his ears feeling like they were on fire as he stuttered, "Well we have known each other for six years and we went to Hogsmeade that time on our own."

"Not exactly a date," she remarked, grinning. "Especially considering that Harry turned up halfway through-"

"Story of my life," he sighed, although the hint of a grin was touching his features again.

"Always wanted you though, never him."

He looked at her smugly. "Nice to win one for a change."

"We never would have been able to get through it without you," she told him.

He flushed again. "You did more than I did."

"We were a team."

The door creaked open and they fell quiet as they heard Harry and Ginny whispering to each other. "Ron's asleep," they heard Harry say. "You could stay the night, we could cast Muffilato and-"

"Like Hell!" Ron yelled, sticking his head out from between the curtains - keeping Hermione hidden. "I might let you two date but you're not staying in the same bed.

Ginny glared at him. "Like you could stop us dating."

"I could!"

Harry rubbed the back of his head and looked awkward. "Look mate we weren't going to do anything. We were just going to sleep."

Ron snorted. "Go to bed, Ginny," he told the younger girl.

"Don't tell me what to do!" She snapped back.

Harry looked between the two of them, and curving his hand around Ginny's arm and told her quietly, "Let's just leave it tonight, I'll see you tomorrow."

Letting out an annoyed sigh, Ginny looked annoyed for a moment before she softened and nodded. "See you then," she told him.

As the door clicked shut behind her, Ron frowned at his friend who gave him a sheepish smile as he told him, "Honestly mate, nothing was going to happen, I wouldn't do anything with you right there. I just wanted to spend more time with her…it's been months and I never thought I'd ever…" He tailed off hopelessly.

Ron relented slightly and gave a nod. "I know what you mean. Night, Harry."

"Night," he replied as he clamoured into the opposite bed, and grinning he added, "And goodnight Hermione."


End file.
